Will Hall | Editor
Baptist Message, Louisiana

David Crosby, pastor of the First Baptist Church in New Orleans, shared with the Louisiana Baptist Message some of his thoughts about what his possible election as president of the Southern Baptist Convention might mean for the denomination, emphasizing that “the work we do together is about the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.”

Speaking by phone, Crosby said on that point “We’ve got to do both proclamation and incarnation. I think the Gospel requires behavior as well as words.” He added he would work with our national entities to underscore compassion ministries as a way to unleash churches to reach the lost.

Crosby also expressed “alarm” about the multi-year trend of designated giving — the focus on independent work instead of cooperative ministries — outpacing gifts through the Cooperative Program.

Likewise, he expressed grave concern about the “almost accidental” downsizing of the International Mission Board, asking “Why didn’t we have a conversation about this?” instead of “just being blindsided by it.”

Finally, on the impact of Calvinism on the Convention, Crosby said Southern Baptists always before have been able to live together “with some tensions but in relative peace for years and decades,” but now there is too much passion in “defending our particular point of view, instead of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ and God’s love for lost people.”